1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer system design, and more particularly to configuration of a keyboard to make a computer more accessible for disabled users.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
The personal computer (PC) is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in workplace and home environments. More and more people are therefore becoming PC users. The most common means of user interaction with a PC are the keyboard and the mouse. Such interaction is often mediated by a program interface called a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI typically includes a representation of computer-based entities including programs, files, and commands in a graphical form on a display screen. In most cases the user interacts with a program or operating system through the GUI by selecting and/or moving objects on the screen using a mouse or other pointing device. Use of a GUI can make interaction with a program or operating system more intuitive than use of a command interface in which specific commands are typed in by the user. This may be true particularly in the case of relatively inexperienced users, because the user is freed from having to learn specific commands.
Although use of a mouse to interact with computer applications is simple and intuitive for many, manipulation of a mouse can be difficult for users having certain disabilities. Various conditions, such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, or arthritis, can interfere with the manual motor control needed to use a mouse to move a pointer to a specific location on a display screen. Such movement of a pointer is often required, for example, in selecting options such as "yes", "no", "save" or "cancel" in response to queries from an application program or operating system. Use of a GUI can therefore be extremely difficult for users with impaired motor control. A "disabled user" as used herein refers to a keyboard user having such an impairment of manual motor control.
In many operating systems, some alternatives to mouse use are available in the form of particular keys on the keyboard which are assigned to certain answers to queries encountered when using a GUI. For example, the "Enter" key on a keyboard may typically be used to select the "default" response to a query. The default response is often represented on the display screen as a "button" surrounded by a thicker border than the buttons corresponding to other possible responses. In addition, the "escape" key may often be used to select a "cancel" response. Such key mappings are convenient for users who prefer less movement of a hand away from the keyboard, and may be helpful to some disabled users. Unfortunately, many users who lack the motor control needed to use a mouse may also have difficulty in using a finger to select a particular keyboard key.
Some specialized keyboards and other entry devices are available which provide larger keys for disabled users. Such devices can be expensive, however, and inconvenient for use on a computer shared with conventional keyboard users. It would therefore be desirable to develop a system and method to allow more effective use of a computer keyboard by disabled users.